"The neglect of this great principle has been the source of all the corruptions, the reproachful scandals, and the damnable heresies that have ever afflicted the Church of God. Be it, my dear pupil, your first and unabating care to avoid this evil. If you should fall a victim to it, your everlasting perdition cannot but be aggravated to the most agonizing degree. I take for granted that you are A TRUE CHRISTIAN, born again of the Holy Spirit, washed, and justified, and sanctified; taking up your cross daily, and following the holy Jesus. If you are, at this moment, conscious of the contrary—if your own heart bears witness that you have never known a saving renewal unto vital holiness, I charge you, in the name of the eternal and most holy Jehovah, and by all the terrors of His most tremendous and fiery wrath, to stop here. If you presume to advance, know that every step you take is a swift approach to hell, that every line you write is a sentence of damnation. Stop here, nor dare to proceed till your hypocrisy and wickedness are forgiven you,—till you have solid reason to conclude that you are no longer in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity."

"O merciful, almighty, and most holy Saviour ! Never, never permit an unregenerate wretch, however deep his self-delusion and specious his profession, to pass this boundary, and become a curse to Thy blessed cause and the author of tenfold destruction to his own soul! Amen! amen!"-First Lines, pp. 2, 3.

CONSCIENCE.

"There is a superior principle of reflection or conscience in every man, which distinguishes between the

internal principles of his heart as well as his external actions; which passes judgment upon himself and them; pronounces determinately some actions to be in themselves just, right, and good; others to be in themselves evil, wrong, unjust; which, without being consulted, without being advised with, magisterially exerts itself, and approves or condemns him the doer of them accordingly; and which, if not forcibly stopped, naturally and always of course, goes on to anticipate a higher and more effectual sentence, which shall hereafter second and affirm its own.

"Thus that principle by which we survey, and either approve or disapprove our own heart, temper, and actions, is not only to be considered as what is in its turn to have some influence; which may be said of every passion, of the lowest appetites: but likewise as being superior, as, from its very nature, manifestly claiming superiority over all others, insomuch that you cannot form a notion of this faculty, conscience, without taking in judgment, direction, superintendency. This is a constituent part of the idea, that is, of the faculty itself; and to preside and govern, from the very economy and constitution of man, belongs to it. Had it strength, as it has right; had it power, as it has manifest authority, it would absolutely govern the world."-Butler.

PRIDE.

“Is there anything written concerning the Assyrian monarch in the tenth of Isaiah, of his swelling mind, his haughty looks, his great and presumptuous taunts? Anything concerning the dames of Sion, in the third

of the prophet Isaiah-of their stretched-out necks, their immodest eyes, their pageant-like, stately, and pompous gait? Anything concerning the practices of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram-of their impatience to live in subjection, their mutinies, repining at lawful authority, their grudging against their superiors, ecclesiastical and civil? Anything concerning pride in any sort of sect, which the present face of the world does not, as in a glass, represent to the view of all men's beholding?"

After noticing how it delighteth such men "when they are able to appal others with the cloudiness of their looks;" how "they look upon no man but with an indirect countenance, nor hear anything save their own praise with patience,” he proceeds:

"No man expecteth grapes of thistles; nor of a thing of so bad a nature can other than suitable fruits be looked for. What harm soever in private families there groweth by disobedience of children, stubbornness of servants, untractableness in them, who, although they otherwise may rule, yet should, in consideration of the imparity of their sex, be also subject; whatsoever, by strife amongst men combined in the fellowship of greater societies, by tyranny of potentates, ambition of nobles, rebellion of subjects in civil states, naming PRIDE we name the mother that brought them forth, and the only nurse that feedeth them. Give me the hearts of all men humbled, and what is there that can overthrow, or disturb, the peace of the world? wherein many things are the cause of much evil; but pride of all.

So hard it is to cure a sore of such quality as pride

is, inasmuch as that which rooteth out other vices, causeth this; and (which is even above all conceit) if we were clean from all spot and blemish both of other faults and of pride, the fall of Angels doth make it almost a question, whether we might not need a preservative still, lest we should haply wax proud, that we are not proud."-Hooker.

PRAYER.

(From an ancient Jewish stand-point.)

The Mishna says that "the pious men of ancient days used to pause a full hour before they began to pray, in order to direct their minds [hearts] to the Deity. Though the king salutes [one who is at prayer], he is not to respond; though a serpent winds itself round his heel, he is not to cease."-Treatise Berachoth. It tells us that, “ Rabbi ben Dosa was remarkable for the efficacy of his prayers for the sick. When he had prayed he would say, 'This one will live,' or, 'Such an one will die.' The sages said to him, 'By what dost thou know it?' He replied, ' If my prayer is fluent in my mouth I know that it is accepted; but if not, I know that [the person] is lost.”—Ibid. The following instance of a bold prayer will not be without its lessons to those who notice the victories of faith. (Mark ix. 23.) "It happened [in a time of drought] that they said to [Rabbi] Honee, 'Pray for us, that rain may fall.' He told them, 'Go and bring in the Passover ovens [which were of clay, or slightly baked earthenware], that they may not be spoiled by the rain.' He prayed, and the rain did not descend. What did he then? He marked out a circle, and placing himself within it, thus prayed, 'Creator of the world!

*

thy children have looked up to me as being peculiarly favoured by Thee; I swear by Thy great Name that I will not move from this place until Thou wilt have compassion on thy children.' The rain began to drop gently. He said, 'It was not for this that I petitioned, but for rain [sufficient] to fill wells, cisterns, and caves.' The rain then fell in violent torrents; when he said, 'Not for such rain did I petition; but for mild, felicitous, and liberal showers.' The rain then fell in the usual manner, until the Israelites of Jerusalem were obliged to go from the city to the Temple mountain, on account of the rain. They came and said to him, 'Even as thou didst pray that the rains might come down, pray now that they may cease.' He said to them, 'Go and see whether the stone [a high stone on which lost articles were deposited] is covered by the waters.'-Simeon, son of Shatach, sent him word, 'If thou wert not Honee I would order thee to be anathematized; but what shall I do to thee-since thou sinnest against God, and yet He forgives and indulges thee like a favoured child, who sins against his father, and yet is forgiven and indulged?'”—Treatise Taanith.

CANAAN.

(Dr. Richard Winter Hamilton.)

"A better country than this, earth did not contain. It was a 'delightsome' and 'a pleasant land;' ‘a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations.' It was variegated and intersected with all the elements of sublimity and beauty-with whatever was bold and gentle. It was prolific without a miracle, and the subject of a periodical one. It was a wealthy place. Aromatic herbs covered its hills, and the fairest flowers